Schamis and a class full of kids were in room 1214 when Nikolas Cruz is accused of opening fire on fellow students. Hannah Carbocci dove for cover under her teacher’s desk.

“He just shattered our window of our classroom and started shooting into the window and he shot thru the walls,” Carbocci said.

Two students died in that classroom Nick Dworet was fatally shot, so was Helena Ramsey. In a sad twist, the kids were in a Holocaust studies class, learning about the evil that comes from hate.

“We watch eyewitness of people survive the holocaust,” Schamis tearfully recalled. “And here they are in their horrible own experience of hate.”

For Annika Dean and her son Austin, their story of survival begins in January of last year.

“Last year I was in the fort Lauderdale airport in terminal 2 when a gunman started firing,” Annika said. “I saw the gunman, I saw the shots being fired.”

Annika knows the horror of being trapped by gunfire and the gratitude of a hero stepping in. “I went on the other side of the smart carts, laid down and began praying,” she said, “and a man climbed on top of my body shielding me and said I will protect you.”

Wednesday, Annika couldn’t believe it was happening again. She first got a text from her son saying there was a school shooting drill, minutes later a follow up saying it’s real and they’re on lock down. “My heart sank,” she said. “I knew immediately how he felt, what he was going through.”

Like his mom, he survived. Now he and so many families have to come to terms with what happened. Schamis is looking for a silver lining. “These kids, the ones who witnessed this are going to be the ones who spread love,” she said, “I know they are. I know they are!”